Security Bee

[wilderness]

Wilderness
If you can't get anything in time for your talk, try the Inscentinel website or just google sniffer bees - some good pics and a short explanation of the procedure.
Eb

EB,
Thanks for your suggestions, I have looked at the Inscentinel website. I was particularly interested in having the BBC video. Someone else is doing a talk on "Bee Diseases" and I thought it might offer some light relief

I'll see if I can get it off iPlayer or maybe someone will post it on youtube.

 

[The Cumbrian]

It was rather disturbing actually - seeing them all in those little cartridges with their heads sticking out. They may only live for a short while in nature, but bees are a social animal. Not sure where I stand on this one.

For me it would depend totally on how long each set of bees were in the "cartridge" and what happened to them afterwards. For example if they can really be trained in 10 mins they could change them at worst daily even half a day. Is that really any worse than being in the post in a queen cage?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

no, but It's the logistics that would concern me. Also the end users Customs officers are highly trained and could be depended on maintaining these machines correctly. But the average airport security guard.............. well, after years of experience of them, I'd better not say anything more in case i upset anyone

 

[The Cumbrian]

no, but It's the logistics that would concern me. Also the end users Customs officers are highly trained and could be depended on maintaining these machines correctly. But the average airport security guard.............. well, after years of experience of them, I'd better not say anything more in case i upset anyone

I was meaning from the cruelty point of view and (possibly a little naively) assumed there would be at least one experienced "Bee Wrangler" (taking a term that seems to be used in the film industry) supervising the whole operation.

 

[Erichalfbee]

What would happen at the end of the shift. Would the gun be simply opened up and the bees let go outside? Or would they just be disposed of?

 

[The Cumbrian]

What would happen at the end of the shift. Would the gun be simply opened up and the bees let go outside? Or would they just be disposed of?

Again I may be naive but they would need a hive to keep supplying bees so why destroy them. Release them outside the hive and either they would be ready trained if they happened to be caught for use again or they would be working to keep the hive viable and a steady supply of bees.

Winter might be the problem but presumably they have given some thought to this if they want a viable system.

Nothing to be gained by killing them at the end of the shift so why do it?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If you put them back in a working hive at the end of the shift - how would you know you were putting a trained bee in on the next shift? You'd therefore need someone on site to train/re-train a new set of bees every day. To me the practicality of the scheme is looking less viable now as well

 

[The Cumbrian]

If you put them back in a working hive at the end of the shift - how would you know you were putting a trained bee in on the next shift? You'd therefore need someone on site to train/re-train a new set of bees every day. To me the practicality of the scheme is looking less viable now as well

They only take 10 mins to train and as I said (perhaps naively) I would expect there to be people there in charge who were a) capable of handling the bees and looking after their welfare, just as a dog handler looks after their charge.
b) Was capable of training the required bees for the required substances.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

They only take 10 mins to train and as I said (perhaps naively) I would expect there to be people there in charge who were a) capable of handling the bees and looking after their welfare, just as a dog handler looks after their charge.
b) Was capable of training the required bees for the required substances.

I take it all on board, but I cannot see my department investing in a lot of training to form a capable and commited handling team - I may be wrong.
But airport security - definitely not

 

[Andre cardona]

have a look at the then


http://blogs.computerworld.com/17828/police_bees_for_surveillance_tracking_and_buzzzsting_biohackers